advertisement
A central university in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar withdrew from a webinar on Friday, 30 July, after RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) protested against the choice of speakers who they consider to have an 'anti-national mentality'.
He also warned the university of a case under Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code if any law and order issue surfaced.
The university in question is Dr Harisingh Gour University. Its anthropology department had organised a webinar tying up with the Montclair State University in US on 'Culture and Linguistic Hurdles in the Achievement of Scientific Temper' on 30 and 31 July.
The speakers for the webinar included Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, ex-CSIR chief scientist Gauhar Raza, IIT Hyderabad professor Harjinder Singh, and Dr. Asim Hasnain, Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University, USA.
The Quint spoke to Gauahar Raza and Apoorvanand on the entire incident.
After the police warning, the university administration asked the department to take prior permission from the HRD ministry. That permission did not come, so just two hours before the webinar was held, the university decided not to participate.
Apoorvanand told The Quint that the university had given permission despite ABVP's objections. So till the end it was believed that there would be a webinar.
Apoorvanand added, "There is enough freedom in universities for a department to be able to conduct a program. That is the life of a university and this is how the university works. But in the last 7 years we have seen that such confrontations are happening everywhere. The main reason for this is ABVP’s continuous efforts to oppose, create a ruckus or create violence.”
Apoorvanand added, this is happening in Delhi University as well and due to this, seminars have gradually reduced. He asserted, Ramjas College was attacked in 2016. Now people 'like that’ are not called at all. This is happening all over India.
Apoorvanand says that the upsetting thing in Sagar's incident is that the police is asking the university administration to make sure that only things that have prior consent can be spoken, and those things should not lead to disturbances.
Apoorvanand said that the Sagar incident is a recent example of how institutions themselves have ruined their dignity and it is very shameful.
Further, he asked, "What will be the image of the university in the international world if the university back out at the last minute? Now universities in India cannot pursue independent academic work and ABVP is the 'super authority', whose orders are to be followed by the university administration and the police."
The Quint also spoke to ABVP Sagar district convener Shriram Richaria, who complained against the speakers to the police and the university. He said that he had received information that some suspicious people might speak, so had complained to the registrar and the SP.
Gauahar Raza told The Quint that if you cannot express your views on science and scientific temper, then what is left?
On this question, Gauhar Raza said, "The university should not have come under pressure, but academics, people running the university, do not indulge in politics. The university tried till the end to have a webinar."
Raza added, "What image are we creating in the world? This is an attempt to end the freedom in a university. Not letting science be talked about. That has nothing to do with me or Apoorvanand. Efforts are being made so that no one can talk about science, about peace in the country, no one should be able to raise a finger and say that they are fascists.”
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)